Tylenol and vaccine controversies: The cost of medical misinformation

For years, people have spread medical misinformation, both on purpose and by accident. Inaccurate information is always circulating and is harmful to all parties involved.

The companies that make the products being slandered by misinformation lose sales and gain a negative reputation. Consumers are harmed because they can cause themselves or others pain by not using said products.

Neurological disorders are not something individuals should be ashamed about; however, today’s society is shaming them and making them believe that there is something wrong with themselves. Pushing these narratives on companies and people is doing more harm than good.

Right now, people are being told by the White House that there is a suggested correlation between the pain reducer acetaminophen (an over-the-counter medication that is the active ingredient in Tylenol) and autism.

President Donald Trump urged pregnant women not to take Tylenol in a news conference on Sept. 22, referencing the unproven link between the pain reducer and autism.

Though evidence in recent years has suggested a possible association between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and subsequent diagnosis of conditions like autism, it is important to remember that correlation does not equal causation. This correlation may highlight a relationship between two concepts, but it does not, however, show a cause-and-effect link.

There is no definitive evidence to back up the claim that acetomenephin causes autism; however, prominent government figures are spreading this claim to citizens. This is just one of many incidents that have led to distrust in health professionals and the media.

Using different social media sites, politicians are spreading their beliefs to their audiences. President Trump has been using the site Truth Social alongside X to spread his medical declarations.

Other politicians are backing up the President’s claims on social media platforms. These sites have become a powerhouse in the world of journalism; people use these sites to spread news to people all over the world.

With the media and politicians themselves, the people who voted for these politicians tend to listen to what they say. If the president who they voted into office is claiming that Tylenol is causing autism in children, pregnant mothers are going to stop taking the pain reliever.

People in power do not realize that they have a great influence on their audiences. With the president and his cabinet preaching their medical beliefs to the American people, citizens are listening to what they are saying — especially the president’s voters.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. spreads his belief that vaccines cause autism. Most people assume he is qualified to share this information. With his position of power, he influences the American people. So by declaring his belief that vaccines cause autism, he caused many parents in America to not get their babies vaccinated.

Along with Tylenol, there has been a decrease in parents giving their children the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine. Some parents are hesitant to give thier children the MMR vaccine and question if it is linked to autism. There is no scientfic evidence that the MMR vaccine is linked to autism.

Over the summer, cases of measles increased in the United States. Outbreaks happened all over the U.S., exposing young children to the disease. To claim that vaccines that are given postpartum cause the disorder is harmful to people with autism. There is a growing stigma against people with autism and claims that have no scientific evidence to back them are furthering this dangerous agenda.

For people to claim that these products cause disorders discredits the hard work put into making the products. Additionally, people who actually have neurological disorders are harmed because they face a negative point of view from people. They are now being viewed as less than because of their disorders and some even claim that there is something wrong with these individuals when they are just born with autism.

To claim that Tylenol and vaccines cause autism is harmful to many people. Not only does it discredit people who have the neurological disorder, but it also discredits the medical professionals and scientists who put in their time and effort to make sure they are providing society with nonharmful medicines. There are many reasons why diagnoses go up and that is due to an increase in the development of technology.

As time goes on, more research is done and it is expected that cases of autism will go up. In 2013, Asperger’s was no longer considered to be its own type of disorder and was grouped into the autism spectrum. Since then, cases of autism have increased each year.

With more information and research being done for vaccines, parents are taking their kids to get these vaccines. People have taken this idea and conformed it to fit their narrative that vaccines cause autism. Rather than listening to medical professionals, they are taking bits and pieces of the actual research done and making it fit their opinion.

With the prevalent spread of misinformed claims, people are ignoring the actual research put into neurological disorders. While there is no set-in-stone proof of what causes autism, it is shown that it is most likely genetic. There is also no evidence that autism can develop later in life. Researchers are still studying this disorder; there is still much more for society to learn.

Ryleigh Beller is an English major at Florida State University and a Staff Writer for the Views section of the FSView & Florida Flambeau, the student-run, independent online news service for the FSU community. Email our staff at  contact@fsview.com.